Camden Yards / Memorial Stadium?

Question

I'm from Boston, and love stadium architecture and history. Aside from Fenway Park, my favorite park in baseball is Camden Yards. To Oriole fans or people in Baltimore who have been lucky enough to see Camden Yards, describe everything thats so great about it and for those who remember, your thoughts on Memorial Stadium?

Answer 1

As you know, it has become the standard for many new parks. Colorado and Pittsburgh are two parks I have also seen that have some of the Camden Yards feel to them.
In the lower deck, the seats seem closer to the field. In the upper deck, the angle of the steps is higher, but yet seems closer. The architechural style that combines an old-fashioned look with some modern nuances is great.
Another factor is the open view beyond the outfield. One can see the Baltimore skyline over the outfield as well as the warehouse, a big distinctive at OPCY. In Pittsburgh, the river separates the park from the skyline of the city, so that is scenic, much like it is in San Fran. In Colorado, I sat in the upper deck and saw this marvelous view of the mountains over the left field bleachers. I thought that a pitcher who gives up a tape-measure shot to deep left could see the mountains and be calmed by the beauty of the view for a moment.
At Memorial Stadium, there was some charm and history, but it did seem as if the field was a bit farther away. The field there was oval shaped because football was played there too. My reference to open-view outfields has Tiger Stadium as a reference point. I went there as a kid and learned to love baseball, partly because of the majesty of seeing homeruns hit into or over the upper deck of an enclosed park. I saw Willie Horton poke one into the light tower over left field as well as some upper deck shots by numerous others. I went to Tiger Stadium in its last year of use. It held many memories, but it looked as if it really needed to be retired. It looked old and beat up. Memorial Stadium did not have that look in its last year of use.
Sorry for the digressions, but I imagine that you and I would have a good time talking baseball.

Answer 2

I was just a wee little boy when I made my first baseball game at Memorial stadium in the mid/late 80s. I couldn't tell you who the Orioles player let alone if they won or lost. I have only an extremely vague memory of Memorial stadium for baseball.

The thing I know best about Memorial Stadium is that it housed the 1954 until 1991. It saw 6 world series, it saw the Orioles win two of them on it's feild (the 83 Orioles won the world series in Philly).

It saw Brooks Robinson, Frank Robinson, Jim Palmer, Earl Weaver, Eddie Murray and Cal Ripken Jr on a regular basis.

It was also the home of the Baltimore Colts who after winning the 1958 championship game in NY against the Giants, the Colts won the 59 Championship game against those same Giants. Johnny Unitas made his homefeild there, as did Raymond Berry, Lenny Moore, Art Donovan, John Mackey, etc.

Memorial Stadium also played host to the first Baltimore superbowl champions, the 71 Colts (defeated Dallas).

So there is a lot of history for both baseball and football for Memorial Stadium. That stadium WAS Baltimore sports. My father who was an avid Baltimore Colts fan growing up in the city said the stadium was often referred to around the league as the "world's largest outdoor insane asylum" because it was clearly the loudest stadium in the NFL for it's time with it's horse shoe shape as an enclosed stadium didn't allow for a lot of sound to escape from thousands of fans screaming at the top of their lungs when the Colts defense was on the feild.

As for Oriole Park, I love it. I wish I could say I could say that it feilded a more competative team though, that's another story however.

It just feels like a great baseball atmosphere with a quality well built stadium. I know I'm fortunate to live within close vicinity of the stadium. Ripken played there, I was there when it had an electric atmosphere for the 97 ALDS, when the O's knocked off the Mariners, Mike Mussina outdueled Randy Johnson.

It was the last breathe of Baltimore dominance in baseball until the team went downhill. But Camden Yards remains a great stadium, it needs a new world series flag though. The 3 flags that it has come from Memorial Stadium.

Answer 3

I moved away from the East Coast before Oriole Park opened but I used to go to Memorial Stadium when I was a kid.

There are memories of some rookie named Cal Ripken, Jr. who everyone hoped would be as good as his dad, Earl Weaver kicking dirt on umpires' shoes, and the chants of "Ed-ee, Ed-ee!" There was also Wild Bill and the O-R-I-O-L-E-S cheer and "Thank God I'm a Country Boy" playing.

However, my most enduring memory has to be the drunks fighting. The Baltimore cops would let them tire themselves out while they got about 20 or more cops together in the tunnel. They would burst out of the tunnel, billy clubs drawn, beat the drunks until they passed out, then drag them to jail. Ah, the days before cell phone cameras when cops could do such things and everyone would know the perps got what they deserved.

Answer 4

Wild Bill Hagy died last week.

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